So-Called iPhone 5 Leak Videos are BUNK.

Posted on June 6, 2012

Why the Leaked iPhone 5 Videos are Fake.

RepairLabs cries FOUL and takes issue with all of these so called new iPhone schematics that are being eagerly gobbled up by the web community. 9 to 5 Mac has just shared a video from Macotarkara, and I hate to be the one to break it to them (as I wholeheartedly love and respect this news source) but this isn’t the real deal. I’m afraid all the hype around this so-called prototype is nothing more than bunk and blather.

A still from the Macotakara video claiming to show iPhone 5 glass, in comparison to the current iPhone 4 in front of it.

First of all, we can’t really get in for a close look at the varmint. Yes, we ourselves have received less than perfect images from our sources, but couldn’t they get us a high resolution shot that we can really investigate? However we’re willing to concede that better images just may not be available if an anonymous source from a Chinese manufacturing company is providing the images. We’ve been in that position with our leak of iPad 3 Back Housing, back in Februray.

But take a look at the cuts on the metal around the casing. They aren’t the usual beautiful clean cuts that are typical of Apple’s quality standards. I’ve worked with hundreds of iPhones and Apple Products, and none have ever looked this bad. At best this is the work of a newbie CNC machinist. Look close in the 9 to 5 Mac image, right where the Home Button should be on the white casing. See those tiny lines? See how they stop right before the edge of the metal? Apple doesn’t do that. Their housings aren’t machined, they’re pressed. This casing looks as though it has been CNC milled – you can see the bit cuts, that round off as the blade makes the turn.

We think there's something fishy going on here...

Yes, it does have a barcode…because I couldn’t fake a barcode in five minutes with a stencil and some black Puffpaint.

I also take issue with the pill-shaped USB port. Apple has utilized the 30-Pin port since the release of the original iPod, back in November of 2001. That is eleven years, kids. Why would they change it now? The thousands of accessories out there are all going to be rendered useless. With their founder and leader gone can Apple really have abandoned their core design (pardon the pun) so soon?

There are cheap knock-offs out there, usually produced in China. The 2nd (right) image below bears a striking resemblance to the supposed blueprints. Check out the port on this image, kinda…pill shaped? Definitely not real Apple there. And the first (left) image is another fun example of how teriffically BAD the knockoffs can be. Hilariously, pitifully bad.

Two very bad knock-offs of the current iPhone 4

In this humble genius’ opinion, the ultra-secretive Apple company could possibly have leaked fakes in order to trace leaks.

Yes all of these things do match perfectly with the leaked schematics of late, but could it be a little too perfect? Couldn’t some unscrupulous, opportunistic start-up have created a quick and dirty mock up in order to get a million and a half YouTube hits? Hardware expert Adrian Kingsly-Hughes makes a compelling case (see link above) against those blueprints. Heck, we here at RepairLabs could easily make up our own glass front panel and plunk it up on the Internet claiming it’s real. In fact, this leaves me wondering, why didn’t we think of doing that?

No, I won’t go so far as to say that this isn’t the new design, but I’m mighty skeptical. One thing I’m certain of: these pictures are not real iPhone components.